Family Mediation, Arbitration and Collaborative Lawyers
Working with you to reach a solution outside of court
Family Mediation, Arbitration and Collaborative Lawyers
When a relationship breaks down, reaching a solution that works for all parties can be easier said than done, particularly when trying to communicate with your ex-partner. Our team can help you to resolve divorce or separation disputes through a family mediation service, collaborative family law, or arbitration.
It’s natural not to agree on everything, but that doesn’t mean your divorce or dissolution has to be settled in a court. We can work with you to arrange your finances and protect your children’s future through constructive out-of-court processes.
Every family or relationship set-up is different, so our team will consider your individual circumstances and then decide whether mediation, collaboration, or arbitration is most appropriate. Alternative resolution allows you to achieve outcomes that are more likely to stand the test of time, and, more importantly, avoid costly court action.
There are plenty of other benefits to reaching an out-of-court agreement with the help of collaborative lawyers:
- You may want to arrive at a resolution quickly and avoid taking court action. We have the skills to help you reach a negotiated settlement through mediation, collaboration or arbitration – where the solutions can be reached promptly, the options more flexible and the costs can be more manageable.
- By keeping matters out of court you can resolve issues in a non-confrontational way that can save time and costs.
- We give clear, frank and reassuring advice to help you choose the best way forward. We help with matters of all sizes, including international divorces and where couples have extensive wealth or complicated business interests.
Out-of-court paths to reach agreement
The courtroom can be an unpredictable and unfriendly place. There are three out-of-court methods that offer you more control and flexibility over the decisions being made:.
- Family mediation service – Discussing issues between you and your ex-partner with an impartial mediator to help to reach an agreement.
- Collaborative family law – Openly discussing issues with your ex-partner, along with your lawyers, to try to negotiate an agreement together with the family’s best interests kept in mind at all times.
- Family arbitration – The outcome of your case is decided by a neutral arbitrator as if they were a judge in court.
Decisions by arbitration are legally binding. Agreements reached collaboratively or by mediation become legally stamped as part of a court order.
Out-of-court agreements don’t work for everyone. If one person refuses to be honest about the financial circumstances, or are not prepared to try to come to an agreement, then your case will probably need to be decided in court
Why choose Shakespeare Martineau?
- From family mediation through to arbitration, our experienced collaborative lawyers have an intimate understanding of the processes that can help you to achieve an out-of-court resolution.
- Across all areas of family law, our team offers a professional yet empathetic service to ensure that mutually beneficial resolutions are reached without conflict.
- Our track record is exceptional – we’ve helped to resolve many disputes like yours through mediation, collaboration, or arbitration in the past.


Your journey through the legal process
Not everyone is aware of how the process of engaging mediation, arbitration and collaborative lawyers works, so we’ve provided an overview below to give you some peace of mind:
- Once you’ve submitted a contact form via the enquire now panel to the right of this page or by using the button below, you’ll be assigned to a member of our team.
- You’ll then receive a free 20-minute consultation within 24 hours via Zoom or telephone to discuss the issues you’re facing.
- Should you then decide that you wish to use our services, you’ll receive a breakdown of all our costs and a pack of on-boarding documents. We will work closely alongside you to ensure that whichever family issue you are facing we are here to support you and find you the right solution.
- After that, a further one-hour meeting at a fixed fee cost to get to know you and your family needs with no additional charges if the call goes over an hour.
Reaching a resolution that works for you
Whichever route is taken – in court or out of it – our experienced lawyers will support you, defend you and equip you with the information, counsel and backing needed to reach a solution that works for you. We’ll also give you clear information about the costs at the start, to help you manage your outgoings.
Our mediation and collaboratively-trained lawyers make sure discussions and negotiations run smoothly and decisively to the benefit of both you, your ex-partner and your family. When it’s all over, we guarantee you will feel liberated and have a positive plan for the future.
If you think that an out-of-court process such as family mediation, collaboration, or arbitration could help you, don’t hesitate to get in touch or call us on 0800 689 0746 today.
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